WATCH: Dawn Staley rings the bell before Philadelphia 76ers playoff game

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley made another stop on her NCAA Championship victory tour, ringing the famous bell before a Philadelphia 76ers playoff game. Staley and the Gamecocks are fresh off their 2022 NCAA Tournament victory, and have been making appearances since their victory parade to continue celebrating the accomplishment.

Dawn Staley ringing the 🔔 tonight pic.twitter.com/kCqGOmXVYA

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) April 18, 2022

Dawn Staley rings the 76ers bell

After a tremendous season for the Gamecocks that resulted in their second National Championship under Dawn Staley since she arrived in 2008, her victory tour has been a fantastic showcase for the school and Staley herself. Staley ringing the bell before Monday’s playoff game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors is a new experience for her, but superstitions are familiar to her all the same.

Staley’s first championship with South Carolina came in the 2016-2017 season, and the piece of the net that she cut down that year was with her as she coached in the 2022 National Championship Game — as she revealed during her postgame press conference.

The 76ers’ tradition of ringing their version of the iconic Liberty Bell is a newer one in the sports world, but has become a major fan-favorite. Philadelphia’s history with the actual Liberty Bell has been a symbol of the nation and Philadelphia itself, when it was used to summon lawmakers to session or alert citizens about meetings. Philadelphia’s baseball team, the Phillies, have a large bell above centerfield at Citizens Bank Park that chimes for each run scored by their team. The 76ers wanted a similar tradition as they rebuilt their franchise, and have found their solution with the ringing of the bell — a tradition that Dawn Staley took part in on Monday.

Staley has made building a championship culture at South Carolina almost look easy over her time as coach, making the interconnected student and fan base celebrate the success of other South Carolina teams and players. During their championship parade, Staley included multiple former Gamecock players from previous teams to be in the parade. The former players honored rode another float dedicated to the players who helped pave the way for their current national title.

“It’s special they wanted to come back,” Staley said. “But it’s also special that we’re just one big Gamecock family and anytime we’re doing something we want to pay homage to those who came before us and they had a really good time.”

Staley’s success helping fellow coaches

The success of Staley and the Gamecocks women’s basketball team has definitely been a bright spot for the school, and the effect of their championship hasn’t gone unnoticed by their other programs. Football head coach Shane Beamer himself recently spoke about the impact Staley has had on his own recruiting for football. Beamer recounted the story of two separate prospects that were interested in the women’s team during their visits.

One recent recruit wanted to check out the championship parade celebrating their national title, while another said the highlight of their recruiting visit was meeting Staley herself. “Anytime you have great coaches and great teams on your campus, it helps all the other sports. And we’re no exception,” said Beamer.